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RISING WOMEN EXPERT ADVICE...
Gallstones
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The What's & Why's of a Common Illness
Gallstones...what are they? What causes them? What
symptoms do they cause and what are our options in dealing with them? Wow,
all loaded questions, yet timely as many people are affected by them. An
estimated 16 to 20 million people in the United States have gallstones,
according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases - that is one in 12 people, so I am sure it is just as bad in
Canada.
First, we need to understand the role of the liver in its bile production to
understand how gallstones form and why they form. The liver produces a
substance called “bile” which is an enzymatic, greenish-brown fluid composed
of a combination of elements such as water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts,
fatty lipids and bilirubin (waste). If this mixture becomes unbalanced, for
instance, by containing too much cholesterol and bilirubin, crystals form
and harden in the gallbladder, or in the bile ducts, especially if there is
inadequate drainage of the gallbladder, or diminished protein levels causing
the cholesterol to crystallize.
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located in the upper, right side of
the abdomen, just beneath the liver. It stores and releases the liver bile
used to help the body digest fats. A series of ducts move bile from the
liver to the upper portion of the small intestine, or duodenum. Bile leaves
the liver through the hepatic duct and travels to and from the gallbladder
through the cystic duct. The junction of the cystic and hepatic ducts forms
the common bile duct, which transports bile to the duodenum. The common bile
duct joins the duodenum alongside or with the pancreatic hepatic duct, which
originates in the pancreas, but connects to the common bile duct. The
pancreatic hepatic duct delivers the pancreatic enzymes with the bile to the
duodenum/small intestine junction for digesting our food. When gallstones
stay in the gallbladder they can continue to grow until they cause pain.
When they pass into the bile ducts and get stuck they can cause severe pain
right from the front intestinal area through to your back and shoulder
blades. In my experience, the pain was worse than child birth, ladies, and
can last just as long! Besides that you can feel nausea, vomiting, jaundiced
and experience headaches, abdominal bloating or gas, belching, indigestion,
darkened urine, clay-colored stools, fever, chills and sweating. However,
many people can have small stones and not even know they have them as they
pass without pain.
There are two main types of gallstones. Cholesterol gallstones, which make
up about 80%, are typically yellowish-green in color and are composed mainly
of cholesterol, although they can contain other substances such as calcium
carbonate and bilirubin. Pigment gallstones are small, dark brown or black
stones that are formed when bile contains too much bilirubin and usually
involves bacteria. There is also sand like gallstones, called billary
sludge, but that usually do not cause pain. There are many factors that
increase the risk of developing gallstones such as excess body weight around
the waistline measuring over 35”, females age 35 to 60, excess estrogen,
Crohn’s and conditions associated with rapid destruction of red blood cells
by causing excess bilirubin and cholesterol lowering medications.
So what are our options in getting rid of these nasty stones? Western
medicine recommends surgery (Cholecystectomy) to remove the gallbladder.
However, this certainly has given many people, including myself, problems
with digestion after as well as weight gain, scar tissue and a lot of time
in recovery. There is also a new procedure available called Laparoscopy,
which does not involve cutting the stomach muscles, causes less pain, leaves
less scarring and scar tissue and promises consequently less recovery time.
Patients who have gallstones in the bile ducts may be treated with surgery
to remove them or with Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
During this procedure an instrument is passed through the endoscope and used
to cut the lower bile duct where it joins the duodenum (first part of the
small intestine).
Last but not least, is another procedure called Extracorporeal Shock Wave
Lithotripsy (ESWL). This treatment involves the use of high frequency sound
waves to break up gallstones. Oral dissolution medication is then taken to
dissolve gallstone fragments. This treatment technique is not typically used
for patients with more than one stone or a large stone. It is associated
with a low success rate and a large degree of pain.
From an alternative perspective, which of course is my preferred preference,
consult a homeopath. The use of appropriate homeopathics may open and soften
the stones and cleanse the intestines, liver, pancreas and common cystic and
pancreatic hepatic ducts all at once. When this stops the pain, and the
person has been repopulating the intestinal walls with good bacteria AND is
having two bowel movements per day, then, and only then, would I consider a
gallbladder liver flush. There must be the right circumstances for those to
work well, and the patient must be strong enough to be able to fast.
One other therapy I also suggest is combining the use of the above with
essential oils and RIFE, which involves electrical frequencies to help break
down stones and control pain.
Dietary recommendations include refraining from fried foods, choosing lean
foods with only good fats, and basically opting for a yeast free food list
to eliminate sugars and starches, which could turn to cholesterol as well.
And, of course, exercise regularly, drink lots of water, and eat lots of
high fiber foods.
Keep your gallbladder if at all possible...it’s there for a very important
reason!
Janet Rowe, owner of Health & Natural Lifestyles, offers Blood
Analysis, Iridology, Homeopathy, Rife, therapeutic vitamins, herbs, minerals
& essential oils. Book your blood appointment today at 403.212.6077.
www.healthy-option.com |
